Page 10 of Mister President

“Were you sleep?”

“No. What’s up?”

Chuckling, I stepped off the elevator. “I was just calling to let you know the school might call or text you about EJ. He wasn’t feeling well this morning, so I let him stay home.”

“What’s wrong with him?” she asked, concern dripping from her voice.

“I think it was something he ate yesterday. He was throwing up and shit and had a slight fever. I had to stop by the office to grab some things to work from home, then I’m grabbing him some broth and crackers and heading back.”

“If you need to work, I can go and be with him, E.”

“Nah, I got my little man. I just wanted to let you know. It shouldn’t take me more than thirty minutes to get everything I need, so he won’t be there alone for too long.”

She sighed. “Alright, but if you need me to go over there, just call me.”

I felt like she was going to go over anyway because that was the kind of mother she was. She might not have been the most warm and nurturing person to anyone else, but she was that and more for our son.

“Your ass finna go to my house, ain’t you?” She giggled. “Mandy…”

“I’m already dressed, Elias. I’ll leave when you get there. I promise.”

“Mhm.” That was a lie. “I’ll see you in less than an hour.”

“Alright. Get him some Pedialyte too. I know you probably have Gatorade already, but he don’t need that sugar if his stomach is upset.”

“Aight, gotcha.”

As I disconnected the call, I took in the sight of Fiona behind the receptionist desk. Kyle made me aware that he’d hired her, but she was supposed to be on Neko’s floor, not mine. Fiona wasn’t my type physically, but she was beautiful. She was short, petite, and slim. Her skin was light, face freckled, and hair ginger in color. I loved all women, but anyone could tell my type based on the woman I had a baby with.

Amanda was dark chocolate, curvy as fuck, and had distinct, black features. From her dark eyes and juicy heart shaped lips to her fat ass—no one questioned her beauty or ethnicity. Fiona was African American and Irish and had one of the prettiest faces I’d ever seen, but she wasn’t a woman I’d intentionally choose to pursue.

“Good morning, Mr. Peterson.” Fiona greeted me, making me chuckle.

“Good morning. What’s going on?”

“Well…since I mentioned knowing you, Kyle decided to put me on your floor instead of your brother’s since he isn’t here. If that’s okay…”

“Yeah, that’s cool.”

“Great! I arrived an hour early to talk to the previous floor assistant.” Fiona turned slightly and grabbed a travel cup of coffee. “She gave me some insight on you and the floor, including how you liked your coffee. Here.”

My steps were hesitant as I walked over to the large oval desk. After accepting the cup, I looked down at it briefly before taking a sip. The shit was perfect.

“Mm, this is good. Thank you, Fiona.”

“You’re welcome. I’ve gone ahead and taken the liberty of opening your planner and setting the files you’ll need for today’s meetings on your desk.”

“Actually, I need to work from home. Can you call everyone I have a meeting scheduled with and see if they don’t mind it being virtual? If so, set up Zoom links. If not, reschedule for at least three days out.”

“Sure. Is everything okay?”

“Yeah. And thank you for preparing the files. That means I can leave now instead of having to do it myself.”

“You’re welcome. Let me know if you need anything else. Otherwise, I’ll see you when you get back to the office.”

I stared at her for a while before heading to my office. So far, she was off to a surprisingly good start. Her taking the initiative to come in early and meet with Chassidy was a good look. Really, I shouldn’t have been surprised. Declan had a reputation of always being two steps ahead, so of course his daughter would operate the same way.

Delcan and I met while I was getting my masters. He was a guest speaker, and I admired meeting a black man who had acquired wealth that wasn’t passed down through his bloodline like other races. I’d always felt like that was the biggest drawback for my race, and seeing someone like Declan not only make it out the hood but become a billionaire and create that wealth for his family was inspiring. It was exactly what I wanted to do.

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